What to look for when buying an ADF

HI all, I'm planning on getting my new African dwarf frog(s) this weekend (so excited!) and was wondering if there was anything in particular to look for. I know about determining whether it's actually a clawed frog, and I know to avoid any frogs who are shedding skin in tatters as opposed to whole pieces. Anything else to ensure a healthy frog? Thanks!

 

Make sure their skin looks healthy and that they don't look to emaciated, as a lot of fish stores don't know what they eat... "Oh, they're scavengers! They eat leftover flakes" So says one of my lfs people... Poor frog

 

They should also have bright clear eyes.
Be sure their little flippers aren't clamped.

 

When purchasing an African dwarf frog, choose an active frog with healthy-looking skin, good colouration, and clear, well-defined eyes. Cloudy or milky-looking eyes might indicate the presence of disease, as might pale, dull, or fuzzy-looking skin. While it is perfectly normal for ADF’s skin to appear slightly lighter in colour just prior to shedding, when purchasing an ADF, it is best to choose a darker, more vibrantly coloured frog, just in case. (Personally, I've found the darker frogs are usually the healthiest.) The frog’s feet and hands should have straight rays (toes and fingers) with ample webbing between them and no apparent deformities. Deformities of the flippers are common in ADFs. The rays of an ADF's hind feet should radiate from a central point, not branch outwards like a tree. Also, avoid purchasing a frog with damaged or missing claws, as this defect might be symptomatic of calcium deficiency and/or malnutrition. The three inner rays should terminate in a black (or keratinized) claw, and the two outer rays in a clear, colourless claw. Finally, and most importantly, never purchase an ADF from an aquarium that contains any dead specimens, no matter how healthy or active the other frogs appear to be. Many of the infectious diseases contracted by ADFs are water-borne and highly contagious, and therefore, easily transmissible. Moreover, many of these diseases have lengthy incubation periods. Thus, a perfectly healthy-looking frog may be infected, but not yet showing any outward symptoms of disease. For these reasons, newly purchased ADFs should always be quarantined for at least three months, before being added to an existing population of healthy frogs.

Sadly, as tankaddict mentioned, many stores do not have a clue how to care for ADFs (they treat them like fish, when their needs are slightly different). I hope you are able to find a good one. We'd love to see some pictures, when you get him. All the best. Happy frog-shopping. - frogbreeder

 

Thank you for all the help! What great information- I really appreciate you all taking time out to help me. I can't wait to go to the store on Friday, and hopefully with all I now know will be able to find the perfect little frog!

And I'm sure pictures will be plentiful. I've seen photos of other members' frogs on here- too cute.

 

You're are welcome for the info. Always glad we can help. There are many knowledgeable ADF enthusiasts on this forum. Lucy made a great point about making sure the frog doesn't have clamped feet. When an ADF is unhappy or ill, it will usually clamp the rays of its hind feet together, much as fish clamp their fins when they are ill. Try to pick a frog with great big hind feet, with rays spread apart, like an open fan, if you can. Can't wait for photos. Good luck. - frogbreeder

 

make sure your ADF has webbing on its front toes. I just spent half an hour helping a LFS employee separate dwarf frogs from young clawed frogs.

 

That's awful, Sol. ACFs and ADFs are often confused, especially when they are young. ACFs and ADFs should never be housed todether, because ACFs can be immune carriers of chytrid fungus. So, that's another thing to avoid - never buy a frog, unless it's being kept in a single-species aquarium. Great point, Sol. - frogbreeder

 

Yeah, I just thought id throw it in, I mean, once you know the difference, its easy to tell but otherwise you wouldnt know until it was too late. Their keeping all the ACFs in a 30 long(specialized tank).